March 10, 2017

Comeback Kid: Roosevelt eyeing ‘even better’ 2017

Johany Jutras/CFL.ca

Naaman Roosevelt’s workout video may not be as long as some others on the market, but it’ll still be good viewing for Saskatchewan Roughriders fans.

On Feb. 27, Roosevelt posted a 12-second video on Twitter showing him running and catching passes.

As of Friday, the video had been retweeted 16 times and liked 152 times, perhaps by Roughriders fans who haven’t seen Roosevelt run since the receiver suffered a knee injury midway through the 2016 CFL season.

“(Putting videos on social media) is something I love doing to show that I’m always working and always motivated to get better,” Roosevelt said from his hometown of Buffalo. “I’m really just showing the people from my area who love checking up on me and seeing how I’m doing.

“The high school kids I train, I show them things to do and show them how I’m working every day to get better.”

Through 10 games last season, Roosevelt was battling the Edmonton Eskimos’ duo of Adarius Bowman and Derel Walker for the CFL lead in receptions and receiving yards.

But on Sept. 10 against the host Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Roosevelt limped off the field with a right knee injury — and he didn’t play again that season.

The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder finished the campaign with 76 catches (tied for 13th in the league) and 1,095 receiving yards (ninth-most in the CFL).

Roosevelt admitted the injury was “definitely frustrating,” but his support system helped him get through it.

“My family always called to check up on me and see how I was doing,” recalled Roosevelt, 29. “My motivation was to do what I needed to do to get better and that motivated me to work harder to get back to being 100 per cent.

“I want to do better things this year, so not long after I got hurt, I was back in the gym.”

Roosevelt, who had surgery to address a meniscus tear in the knee, was anxious to rehabilitate the joint — but he also didn’t want to rush things. After a suitable period of rest, he started his rehab.

That ultimately led to his on-field training sessions.

The video he tweeted was shot in Buffalo, where Roosevelt has been working out with the likes of Hamilton Tiger-Cats receiver Luke Tasker, Montreal Alouettes receiver Ernest Jackson and Toronto Argonauts quarterback Drew Willy.

“I’m pretty confident with what (doctors and therapists) did and what I’ve been doing myself working out,” Roosevelt said. “Since I’ve been back, I’ve been running routes and doing everything that I need to do.

“I know how I do things and how I work out. I know I’ll do everything I possibly can to make sure I’m 100 per cent and fully healthy.”

Before the 2016 season, Roosevelt travelled to Atlanta to work out with then-Roughriders quarterback Darian Durant. The chemistry they developed was evident on the field, based on Roosevelt’s production over the first half of the season.

But Durant was traded to Montreal this off-season, leaving Roosevelt without a training partner on the Roughriders’ roster. That’s not to say he’s unfamiliar with Saskatchewan’s quarterbacks, though.

During his first year with the Roughriders, Roosevelt worked out with Kevin Glenn who — after splitting the 2016 season between the Als and Bombers —signed with Saskatchewan this off-season.

Roosevelt also has plans to meet up with Roughriders quarterback Brandon Bridge, who lives nearby in the Toronto area.

Roosevelt will have some new running mates in the Roughriders’ receiving corps in 2017, following the off-season additions of players like Duron Carter, Bakari Grant and Chad Owens.

The competition for playing time should make all the receivers better — and that’s inspiration for Roosevelt, who wants to build on his 2016 season.

“The people I have around me keep me motivated and keep me focused on what I need to do to get back and be 100 per cent,” he said.

“I’m just ready to have fun. I’ve been itching to play after being hurt, so I’m ready to get back not only to where I left off but to be even better.”